Wise words

If you are not familiar with Lamplighter books then all I can say is you need to be! These books are wonderful! They are so very full of God's truths. We read a chapter each night (actually usually more as they are VERY hard to put down) and right now we are in The Basket of Flowers. The following words spoke straight to my heart tonight.

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart,
and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways
acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths."

A father is imparting wisdom unto his daughter and explains the verse and then talks about what happens when we do not first seek our Heavenly father.

"Indolence and Sloth will whisper to you, perhaps that if you are busy or tired, there is no great harm in omitting your daily prayer, and Presumption will add that you are in no particular peril at that moment. Procrastination will say that another time will do as well as your stated morning hour, and Self-Indulgence will plead for a little less strictness. Evil tempers, murmuring and wandering thoughts will try to distract your attention during prayer, if you cannot be quite hindered from it. When you feel the risings of these evil things within, my child, flee to Jesus".

I'm not sure about anyone else, but I know that this rings true for me. Very sadly so. My quiet time has wavered over the years. It has been so easy for me to feel "too busy" for my time in God's Word. What a crazy thought! It is His Word that I need to get through my crazy and busy days. When I rationalize with myself that I will make time later, I usually end up with a very tired and hurried prayer as I am settling into bed at night after a day that usually has been a roller coaster. Oh, the many times Satan has distracted during my quiet time. Even getting up at an earlier hour has brought its distractions to me. But, this cannot be an excuse to forgo time set aside with the Lord. I crave this time and need this time with Him. My days are not magically perfect when I seek Him first thing. But, they are more focused and I am not as easily apt to fall into temptations throughout the day. It is only through His Word and the fellowship with Him that I am able to get restoration for my soul so that I can go through a day and bring Him glory. Just like a car, you can't run on an empty tank.

Dear Lord,
Please keep me from Indolence, Sloth, Presumption, Procrastination and Self-Indulgence. Let me keep You as my first priority each and every day that You have blessed me with. Help me to "Seek ye first" each morning and not let anything else into my mind before You. Thank you Lord for the privilege to come to You for help and guidance. Amen.



**If you are not familiar with Lamplighter you can find them here.

Boys

I am grateful for Gods order. I am grateful for His timing. If we had it our way Catherine would have been a boy. Our boy would have come first. But, if our boy was first and not last I would not have been in a place to notice and appreciate just how differently God has truly made us. Of course I know boys are different from girls, I mean I am married! We are made different physically, it's obvious! I'm not sure that all the ways we are different mentally and emotionally are so noticeable though. Especially in the world we live in today where gender roles are blurred so heavily. If I had a boy previous to understanding what God says about our differences I'm not sure that I would have seen all the little things that my little man does just because he is a "boy". I'm pretty sure that I would not have appreciated them. It has fascinated me just in the short span of his life so far just how differently God has wired us. In just 14 short months this is what I have realized about little boys.

• Boys play differently. As he was learning to crawl he already knew that cars were to be pushed around the room making noises. When we gave him a Hulk toy he immediately made "grrrr" noises and seemingly battled the two Hulks.
  
• He has no fear! About anything. Doesn't matter how gross, he will touch it. Doesn't matter how high, he will climb it.
  
• There is an attraction to the toilet. Not just to play in the water, but he actually put the toilet brush in it. Getting a head start on learning his chore!
  
• He rolls around and plays with the puppies. Unafraid as the whether or not they will bite or scratch him. And when they get rough he gets up and goes on with life. No drama!
  
• He thinks it is game to pull the puppies ears. He pulls, they grumble, he laughs!
  
• He loves his mommy! My girls loved their momma too, but somehow it is just different. Not sure if it is because he is the first one I have been home full time with or because he is just a boy...
  
• He loves to be outside. Even in the hospital just a couple days old he loved to be by the windows. When just a wee little one that would not settle down all we had to do was step out onto the porch and he would stop crying instantly. Now as a toddler all he wants to do is go outside.
  
• Rocks are a food group! My girls ate a little dirt here and there, and an acorn once or twice, but never rocks. He is drawn to them.
  
• Dirt looks good on boys! He loves to play in the dirt. And the dirt does not stay on the ground, but ends up from one end to the other, in the ears, in the hair and in the diaper.
  
• He wants to figure out how everything works. It is not enough to know that if he puts the ball through the hoop it will make a noise. He wanted to know what exactly about it made the noise. And he figured it out. He figures all things out!
  
• He eats, and eats, and eats! I was warned, but so did not get it. A boy's appetite is much larger from day one.
  

I know that this list will continue to grow over the years as I take notice of the things that he does differently. Some things frighten me as I think of the future. I had three brothers and know the things that they did. My husband is one of three boys and I have heard all about the things that they have done. I know that Josh will also have his own stories I only hope that they don't grey me too quickly.

Washita Battlefield

We were keeping an eye out for National Parks & Monuments along the way. We purchased a National Parks pass before our trip as we planned on visiting several places in AZ and it would be more economical to go that way. But, this also opened up many opportunities to make "quick" visits to additional parks along the way. This was also what we used for school while we were on the road. The Jr. Ranger programs are wonderful! Some parks are better than others, but all in all a great wealth of information. I learned so much in working through the books with the girls.

Washita Battlefield was the first National Park that we stopped at. It is located in western Oklahoma about 20 or so miles north of I40. I must add in here how much we loved Oklahoma! Yes, the "breeze" was a bit much at times. But, the temperature was perfect, no humidity and no bugs! It was so beautiful looking out across the site. We pretty much enjoyed everything about Oklahoma. Well everything that we could see from I40.

Walking through the exhibits at the visitor center really brought me great sadness. It just brought to the front of my mind the great evil that existed, and actually still does. So many people died on this one day. And there have been so many days like this. Fortunately the Jr. Ranger book focused more on the Indian culture and not just the battle. I am not sure how much my sensitive girls could have taken at one time.

Here are some pictures from the battle site. Enjoy!

At the trail head they had flip cards to take with you for what became our "mom guided" tour.

I thought these were so cute. They are actually smaller than what they appear in the picture.

Josh really liked the "piggy-back" rides, Dad not so much.

The girls were fascinated with this creek. They all tasted the water (after we told them not to). Apparently it tasted like water!

View from somewhere on the trail. Just breathtaking!

Petit Jean State Park

We stopped at Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas on Wednesday. It was lunch time and we saw the sign so we traveled about 30 miles off the highway. It was well worth it. The children enjoyed some hands on displays in the visitor center. We then ate lunch and played on the playground. Webb and I got a much needed recharge to our batteries.

Touch table at visitor center

Josh being a ham insteading of eating his ham

The view as we started our hike

Turtle rocks....very neat looking. They really did look like turtle shells!

Family pic at the entrance to the cave. This cave was huge!

We made it!

We are in ARIZONA! Thankfully we made it all the way. We are tired (and by "we" I mean Webb, my mom and myself). The children are excited. Taking in their new surroundings, enjoying each thing. It is amazing what I can learn if I just pay attention to what they think is important.
We left Henryetta, OK at about 10 on Thursday morning. We had lunch at Washita Battlefield National Historic Site in Cheyenne, OK. We took a "mom guided" tour around the battlefield after lunch and the girls all earned their Junior Ranger Badges. We all learned a lot and had a great time walking around learning some US History and enjoying God's creation.
From there we went to Groom, TX to see the cross. I'm sure a lot of you have heard and/or seen this 19 story cross. It is quite a sight. We walked around the grounds and it actually opened up some great opportunities to speak to the girls about why Christ died on the cross. Sam was very upset at seeing the statues where they nailed Jesus to the cross. She didn't want to leave Him to be hurt. We explained as best we could, but I am sure that there will be many more discussions from this trip.
I drove through half of Texas and half of New Mexico last night. Thank you to all of those who have been praying for our travels. We ended up pulling off at a truck stop and getting a much needed hour and a half of sleep in the wee hours of the morning.
This morning bright and early we were waiting at the gates of the Petrified Forest. What a wonderful morning! The girls earned their Junior Ranger Badges here also. We again did a "mom guided" tour. While reading the signs at each site I had to ad lib some of the information on the spot. There is that rather large discrepancy in just how old the earth really is. All the same we enjoyed the awesome beauty of what the Lord created.
After much driving we finally arrived. Earlier than our check-in time to the house so we went first thing to see my brother. It is very hard for me to see him as the adult that he is now. We have been apart for so many years and I think that is why it is harder than when I look at my other brothers. But, he is my "baby" brother! If the "baby" of the family is an adult then where does that leave me (lol).
This house is an absolute blessing. The Lord has definitely provided for us. We would have ended up in multiple motel rooms with very little privacy. Instead, we have three bedrooms. A full kitchen so that I can still make meals and we do not have to eat out all the time (I so prefer home cooked meals). I feel so undeserving of His kindnesses, but then I am!
Tomorrow my brother graduates from college. Maybe, just maybe, then I will not still look at him as my "baby" brother. Tomorrow I get to see my dad. He will meet my kids, 3 of them for the first time. They will get to meet their "Grandpa Glen" that they always hear about. They will also get to meet their "Great Grandma" who they have only ever heard about and until recently not seen pictures of.
Please pray that our reunion with family tomorrow will be sweet. Please pray that we as a family will be sensitive to His leading throughout our time away from home.

Halfway there

We made it to Henryetta, Oklahoma last night. I cannot tell you how wonderful it felt to lay on a bed when we walked into the room, and to lay my head on th pillow. Oh, WOW, was it great! Thank you Lord for such small comforts.
So the first leg of our journey was not without issue, but comparitively the issues have been quite minor to the joys that we have expereinced. Apparantly the girls believed me when I told them that whining and fighting would not be tolerated. All three of them have been doing wonderfully! Josh on the other hand did not get the memo. I can't say that I blame him too much. I know it can't be all that comfortable to sleep, eat, play and just sit all strapped in. Mom got sick. She thinks from something she ate, I hope that is all. I am also very thankful that our stop by the side of the road in the wee hours yesterday did not cause a chain reaction with my girls, cause typically their weak stomachs cannot handle it!
We stopped for lunch at Jean Petit State Park in AR. It was a welcome stop! It was about 25 miles off the interstate but the drive was beautiful. Not sure if it is from all the recent rain or not but AR is so green! I mean green, like crayuola green. Anyhow we went up, up, up a mountain to this park. They had a great picnic area with a playground. The kids had so much fun. So did Webb and myself. It was so good to see my hubby playing with the kids. To hear their sqeals as he pushed them higher and higher. To see his smile and hear his chuckle at their enthusiasm. This has been missed lately!
After lunch, we hiked one of their "light" trails. I did not think it was all that light other than the last 100 feet or so. And back up to the car, well suffice it to say I already knew I was out of shape and did not need the reminder. This impromptu lunch was just what I have been praying for. That we would enjoy eachother! Thank you Lord for this time together. It made all the hours of driving worth every second.
It still has not set in that we will be gone for longer than a weekend. My husband thinks I am crazy! It still feels like we are up the road from the home and will be returning soon. I am glad that we are not, but it just hasn't taken it's full effect on me. I tought up until now it was lack of sleep, but I just slept like a baby for about 7 hours. I guess it really doesn't matter how long I feel it is. As long as every moment is enjoying my husband, children and my mom, then every moment, short or long, is going to be great!
We plan to leave sometime bfore 11 today. I am not in a hurry. My husband on the other hand wants to get there. Either way we cannot check into the house until 5pm Friday. There will be more stops along the way. Thank you for your prayers. Please pray that we will make our second half safely as we will not be stopping again until we get there!

Getting Ready

I am in the middle of preparations. Trying to get things together that should have been together already. As I am typing this my bed is strewn with toiletries, misc. bags, diapers, pull-ups, carriers, cameras, shoes and a bunch of other stuff. The only one completely packed for this trip is my husband! His bag is a small duffel about half the size of mine and I didn't think that I packed all that much.
I feel so out of my box! The last trip that we made was for a weekend and we only had 2 little ones at the time. This time we will be gone for just shy of 2 weeks and we have 4 little bundles to entertain along the way.
I am excited! Very excited! I will get to see my brother who I have not seen in several years. My baby brother who is graduating from college! The only one of us to actually graduate from college! My dad who I have not seen in 8 years. And a grandma that I have not seen in over a decade. I do not feel old enough to use the words "a decade ago", but the truth is the truth. In addition I get to meet some folks that I have not had the pleasure of meeting in person yet.
I am also anxious! I am trying not to be. Moment by moment I am having to hand my anxieties over to my Heavenly Father. And of course am not suprised that He has handled everything so far. So why am I anxious about all that is yet to come when we get out on the road tonight? I know that everything will happen as He has planned.
Our journey will start sometime around 8 tonight. Please say a prayer for us and our travels. Please pray that we will enjoy each other while we travel and once we get to AZ. Prayerfully we will be packed and all ready and the house will be straightened by then.
I am going to try to update daily...maybe....and maybe with pictures. We'll see. Thank you, thank you!